AUTH/2641/9/13: Chief Pharmacist v Lundbeck — Cipralex promotional email (no breach) | PMCPA Case

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Key facts

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Case number	AUTH/2641/9/13
Complainant	Chief pharmacist
Company	Lundbeck Ltd
Product	Cipralex (escitalopram)
Material/channel	Promotional email sent via a database agency (to psychiatrists registered on a health professional database)
Main issue	Perceived circumvention of local trust formulary/medicines committee process and local representative policy; high standards complaint under Clause 9.1
Applicable Code year	2012
Clause(s) considered	Clause 9.1
Decision	No breach
Complaint received	16 September 2013
Case completed	28 October 2013
Appeal	No appeal

Reviewed by Dr Anzal Qurbain (FFPM) — ABPI Final Signatory

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A chief pharmacist complained about a promotional email for Cipralex (escitalopram) sent on behalf of Lundbeck (ref UK/ESC/1305/0409a).
The complainant said Cipralex was not on the trust formulary and that new medicines/licences had to be introduced via the medicines committee.
The complainant said multiple local prescribers received the email; they found the advertising “not helpful”, asked the database agency to stop, and instructed IT to route the emails to spam.
The email was sent by a database agency to psychiatrists registered on a health professional database; registrants had agreed they might receive pharmaceutical promotional material and could opt out.
The email content related to the impending loss of patent on Cipralex and potential impact on future prescribing costs; it did not mention local formulary status.

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